Slide selector switch



March 7, 1967 N. L'. FIELD m, ETAL 3,308,250

' SLIDE SELECTOR SWITCH Filed Feb. 15, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY 7 II IIIIIIIIIIA March 7, 1967 N. FIELD m, ETAL 3,

SLIDE SELECTOR SWITCH Filed Feb. 15, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,308,250 SLIDE SELECTOR SWITCH Nathaniel L. Field III, Ann Arbor, Mich., and James F.

Ritchey, Carmel, Ind.', assignors to Bell Telephone Lahoratories, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 527,410 6 Claims. (Cl. 20016) This invention relates to switches having reciprocal contacts and particularly to switches including a slidable displaceable member that is selectively positionable in a plurality of positions to connect particular pairs of conductors in accordance with the position selected. Such a switch is herein referred to as a slide selector switch.

An object of this invention is to provide a slide selector switch that is positive in operation yet compact in design.

This and other objects of this invention are achieved in an illustrative embodiment thereof wherein the slide selector switch comprises a printed circuit board having a plurality of spaced strip conductors and a like plurality of groups of spaced island conductors on the upper surface thereof. Each group of island conductors is located along a line that is adjacent to and extends parallel to an individual strip conductor. In addition, each island conductor is connected through the board to the underside thereof.

Overlying the board is a face plate having a plurality of slots therein that are equal in number to and in registration with the strip conductors. A selector is positioned in each slot and slidably displaceable along the length thereof. Each selector includes first and second contacts electrically connected to one another and biased toward the board. The first contact engages the associated strip conductor while the second contact engages the line along which the adjacent group of island conductors extend, and thus each selector is positionable to connect the associated strip conductor to any one of the island conductors adjacent thereto.

A complete understanding of the invention and of these and other features and advantages thereof may be gained from consideration of the following detailed description which in conjunction with the accompanying drawing discloses one embodiment of the invention. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preset dial telephone employing the slide selector switch of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing a selector and the portion of the face plate and printed circuit board with which it interacts;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the printed circuit board; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a selector.

Referring to the drawing and FIG. 1 in particular, in the embodiment of the slide selector switch herein disclosed, the switch is employed in a preset dial of a telephone 12 to select the number to be called by the telephone.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the switch comprises a printed circuit board 14 having a plurality of strip conductors 15 and island conductors 16 on the upper surface thereof. The strip conductors 15, which are elongated conductive paths, are spaced from one another, and in the present embodiment extend radially from an arcuate common conductor at the center of the board. The island conductors 16, which are abbreviated conductive paths,

3,308,250 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 ICC are spaced from one another and from the strip conductors 15.

The island conductors 16 are formed in groups of equal numbers with equal spacing between the island conductors in each group, and each group is located adjacent to and along a line extending parallel to an individual strip conductor 15. In addition, each individual island conductor 16 is connected through the printed circuit board 14 to an individual conductor 18 on the underside of the board, the conductors 18 extending transverse to the strip conductors 15. In the present embodiment, the corresponding island conductors 16 in each group are located along a common radius and thus the conductors 18 to which they are connected extend along this radius.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cover 20 is mounted on the printed circuit board 14, the cover comprising a skirt 22 that rests on the board and a face plate 24 that overlies and is spaced from the board. The face plate 24 has a pluraltiy of identical slots 25 therein that are equal in number to the strip conductors 15 and each slot extends parallel to and is in registration with an individual strip conductor and its adjacent group of island conductors 16.

The upper surface of the face plate 24 has a group of indicia 26 equally spaced along the length of each slot 25. Each group of indicia 26 in the present embodiment is impressed into the surface and consists of the letter U and the digits 1 through 0 together with lines extending therefrom to the edges of the adjacent slots 25. The under surface of the face plate 24 has a group of V-shaped notches 28 equally spaced along the length of and on both sides of each slot 25, and the notches abut one another to form a saw tooth profile.

The number of indicia 26 in each group of indicium is the same as the number of notches 28 in each group of notches. In addition, the spacing between the individual indicium 26 in each group of indicium is the same as the spacing between the individual notches 28 in each group of notches, and this is the same as the spacing between the individual island conductors 16 in each group of conductors. Thus there is a correspondence between the indicium 26, notches 28, and island conductors 16 associated wtih each slot 25 and this correspondence provides a particular spatial relationship therebetween that will be hereinafter referred to.

A selector 30 is associated with each slot 25, and since the selectors are all identical and they have the same relationship with the printed circuit board 14 and the face plate 24, a description of a single selector 30 sutfices to describe the rest.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the selector 30 includes a base 32 having a forward leg 34 and a rearward leg 35 depending therefrom, the legs resting on the printed cir cuit board 14 and supporting the base just underneath the face plate 24. The base 32 further has a ridge 36 upstanding therefrom that extends into the associated slot 25. The slot 25 is of greater width than the ridge 36 but of lesser width than the base 32 and thus the selector 30 is captured between the printed circuit board 14 and the face plate 24 and is restrained to move along the length of the slot. Furthermore, since the slot 25 is in registration with an individual strip conductor 15 and its adjacent group of island conductors 16, the selector 30 moves along the length of the conductors.

A boss 38 and a tab 40 extend upward from the ridge 36, the boss extending just above and the tab extending significantly above the upper surface of the face plate 24. The tab 40 is used to displace the selector 30 along the length of the slot 25, while the boss 38 serves as a marker that is aligned with the indicia 26 for the selection of a particular position.

A cylindrical detent 42 is accommodated by a recess in the underside of the base 32and extends laterally beyond each side of the ridge 36 into juxtaposition with the notches 28 on each side of the slot 25. A cantilever spring member 44, which has one end thereof mounted on a post 45 depending from the underside of the base 32 and the other end thereof contiguous with the underside of the detent 42, biases the detent upward against the notches 28. This biased engagement of the cylindrical detent 42 against the saw tooth configuration of the notches 28 results in the position of the selector 30 being unstable except when the detent is seated in a notch. Thus, the location of the selector 30 along the length of the slot 25 is limited to these spaced discrete positions.

A pair of cantilever bifurcated contact members 46 and 48, which also have one end thereof mounted on the post 45 depending from the base 32, have the free ends thereof biased toward the printed circuit board 14. The contact member 46 engages the strip conductor 15 while the contact member 48 engages the line along which the adjacent island conductors 16 lie. The contact members 46 and 48 are electrically connected to one another, they being advantageously formed as an integral element, and consequently when the contact member 48 engages an island conductor 16, the island conductor is electrically connected to the strip conductor 15.

The contacting surface of the contact member 48, the notch engaging surface of the detent 42, and the boss 38 have the same spatial relationship as the island conductors 16, the notches 28, and the indicia 26. Hence when the detent 42 is seated in a notch 28, the boss 38 is automatically aligned with the indicium 26 associated with the notch and the contact member 48 is automatically positioned in engagement with the island conductor 16 associated with the indicium.

The base 32, legs 34 and 35, ridge 36, boss 38, tab 40, and post 45 of the selector 30 are all advantageously formed as an integral unit from a dielectric material. The detent 42 is advantageously formed from a material having self-lubricating properties and the spring member 44 and contact members 46 and 48 are advantageously mounted on the post 45 by swaging the post over a washer 50.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that it is but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

What'is claimed is:

1. A slide selector switch comprising:

a board having an insulated strip conductor and a group of insulated island conductors on the upper surface thereof, the island conductors being spaced from one another and from the strip conductor and being located along a line extending parallel to the strip conductor, each individual island conductor being connected through the board to a conductor extending transverse to the strip conductor, the transverse conductor extending along the underside of the board;

a face plate overlying the board and spaced therefrom,

the face plate having a slot therein extending parallel to and in general registration with the strip and island conductors;

a selector positioned in the slot of the face plate and movable along the length thereof, the selector including a pair of spaced contacts electrically connected to one another and biased toward the board, a first contact engaging the strip conductor and the second contact engaging the line along which the group of island conductors extend, whereby the selector is positionable to connect the strip conductor to any one of the island conductors.

2. A slide selector switch comprising:

a dielectric board having a plurality of spaced strip conductors and a like plurality of groups of spaced island conductors on the upper surface thereof, each group of island conductors being located adjacent to and along a line extending parallel to an individual strip conductor, the island conductors in each group being equal in number and each individual island conductor being connected through the board to the underside thereof;

a face plate overlying the board and spaced therefrom, the face plate having a plurality of slots therein equal in number to, extending parallel to, and in general registration with the strip conductors and their adjacent group of island conductors;

a selector positioned in each slot of the face plate and movable along the length thereof, each selector including a first and a second contact electrically connected to one another and biased toward the board, the first contact engaging a strip conductor and the second contact engaging the line along which the adjacent group of island conductors extend, each selector further including a base portion having a pair of spaced legs depending there-from that rest on the board and locate the base just underneath the face plate, the base further having a ridge upstanding therefrom that extends into the slot with which the selector is associated, the ridge being of lesser width and the base being of greater width than the slot.

3. A slide selector switch as in claim 2 wherein the ridge has a tab and a boss upstanding therefrom and extending above the upper surface of the face plate, the upper surface of the face plate having indicia spaced along the length of each slot, and each selector being positionable by means of the tab so that the boss is in alignment with one of the indicium.

4. A slide selector switch as in claim 6 wherein the face plate has V-shaped notches on the underside thereof spaced along the length and on both sides of each slot, the notches and indicia along each slot being equal in number, and each selector has a detent biased against the notches, the interaction between the detent and the notches limiting the location of each selector to particular discrete positions that facilitate the placement of the second contact of each selector in engagement with one of the island conductors associated therewith and the interaction between the detent and the notches automatically positioning the boss in alignment with one of the indicium.

5. A slide selector switch as in claim 4 wherein each detent comprises a cylindrical member positioned within a groove in the base and the ridge of its associated selector, the detent extending laterally beyond each side of the ridge and being biased upward by a cantilever spring member.

6. A slide selector switch as in claim 2 wherein each island conductor is connected through the board to a conductor extending transverse to the strip conductor adjacent to the island conductor.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,453,498 11/1948 Crowley 20016 2,956,142 10/1960 Koehler 200166 3,146,320 8/1964 Wang et al. 20016 X 3,190,995 6/1965 BroWn 200166 3,196,223 7/1965 Hartsock 20016 3,205,319 9/1965 Anderson et al 20016 3,222,466 12/1965 Helus et al. 200-16 ROBERT K. SCI-IAEFER, Primary Examiner.

J. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SLIDE SELECTOR SWITCH COMPRISING: A BOARD HAVING AN INSULATED STRIP CONDUCTOR AND A GROUP OF INSULATED ISLAND CONDUCTORS ON THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF, THE ISLAND CONDUTORS BEING SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER AND FROM THE STRIP CONDUCTOR AND BEING LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE STRIP CONDUCTOR, EACH INDIVIDUAL ISLAND CONDUCTOR BEING CONNECTED THROUGH THE BOARD TO A CONDUCTOR EXTENDING TRANSVERSE TO THE STRIP CONDUCTOR, THE TRANSVERSE CONDUCTOR EXTENDING ALONG THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BOARD; A FACE PLATE OVERLYING THE BOARD AND SPACED THEREFROM, THE FACE PLATE HAVING A SLOT THEREIN EXTENDING PARALLEL TO AND IN GENERAL REGISTRATION WITH THE STRIP AND ISLAND CONDUCTORS; A SELECTOR POSITIONED IN THE SLOT OF THE FACE PLATE AND MOVABLE ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF, THE SELECTOR INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED CONTACTS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO ONE ANOTHER AND BIASED TOWARD THE BOARD, A FIRST CONTACT ENGAGING THE STRIP CONDUCTOR AND THE SECOND CONTACT ENGAGING THE LINE ALONG WHICH THE GROUP OF ISLAND CONDUCTORS EXTEND, WHEREBY THE SELECTOR IS POSITIONABLE TO CONNECT THE STRIP CONDUCTOR TO ANY ONE OF THE ISLAND CONDUCTORS. 